SLEEPSTALKER: THE SANDMAN'S LAST RIGHTS

While any intelligent horror fan would welcome a moratorium on movies about serial killers reborn as demonic forces, SLEEPSTALKER: THE SANDMAN'S LAST RITES (1995, Turner, R, priced for rental) nevertheless triumphs as a solid example of formula filmmaking. Despite dated rock-video stylings and chintzy special effects, the movie offers an unforgettably eerie sandcastle of a killer, who bypasses the barbs of Freddy Krueger in favor of creepy nursery rhymes. Even cleverer, the Sandman skips the usual kitchenware, preferring to strip the flesh off his victims with impromptu sandstorms. For a final subtle scare, wait for the short sequence that follows the final credits, in which director Turi Meyer shows how much weirdness he can squeeze from a desert location and one strong head wind. B+